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In a move I hadn’t expected, Banks stepped forward, closing the distance between us, and curled his arm around my back to tug me close. I hid my face in his chest, reliefmoving through me, as I tried to ignore the way it felt to be held in a masculine embrace for the first time since before Graham died.
I tried.
I tried so hard not to let it happen, but there were too many emotions already moving through me.
With the scent of him surrounding me and the warmth and comfort I felt in his strong arms, more tears spilled down my cheeks.
God, it felt good.
And at the same time, it felt so wrong. It was wrong to enjoy the way it felt, because Banks wasn’t my fiancé.
“Are you okay?” he asked hesitantly a few moments later.
I pushed back slightly, forcing him to loosen his hold on me, and hating that it took me out of his embrace. “I’m sorry. I’m okay now.”
He nodded his understanding, but it was clear he was still on the fence about whether or not to believe me. If he got whatever confirmation he needed on that, I’d never know, but Banks didn’t hesitate to offer me a bit of reassurance.
“You should know I’m not the least bit upset that you found a way to communicate with my mom and give her a glimpse of Rhys right now, since she’s trying to recover and can’t be here with him,” Banks insisted.
“Okay,” I murmured, unsure I could trust myself to say anything else.
“I mean it, Lamise. I would never be the one to be upset about something like that,” he maintained.
That’s when it hit me.
If Banks’s initial reaction to what I’d done hadn’t beenabout him being upset about it, then it could only mean one thing.
Someone else was going to be upset about it.
“I get it. I just assumed your reaction meant that you were unhappy with what I’d done, but now that I have your explanation, I understand it’s not you. If it would help, I’m happy to explain the mistake to her and apologize for it,” I offered.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Your wife,” I replied.
“Pardon?”
“Rhys’s mom,” I clarified stupidly, as though Banks wouldn’t know that his wife was also Rhys’s mom. “I’d be more than happy to apologize to her about this mix-up. It was an innocent mistake, but I accept full responsibility.”
The silence stretched between us, and I started to think, especially judging by the look on Banks’s face, that I’d done something far worse just now.
“Why are you talking about Rhys’s mom?” he questioned me.
Offering a sympathetic look, I explained, “I realize this probably isn’t an ideal situation for you, and I wanted to ease the burden. Going through a divorce is hard enough, I’m sure. Sharing custody with his mom probably already has its challenges, and you don’t need me adding fuel to the fire. I just wanted to let you know that I’d be happy to meet her and talk to her about what happened today.”
There was another extended silence. With each second that passed, it was becoming more evident I hadn’t done anything to make this situation any better.
“I’m not divorced,” he clipped.
My eyes widened.
Shit.
Shit, what had I just done?
“Oh,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry. I just… I saw the ring on your finger and pictures around the house. Since I hadn’t met her, I just assumed you were going through a divorce. God, Banks, I’m mortified right now. I think I should just go.”
I didn’t know why, but I had hoped he’d offer some clarification on the subject, considering all that I’d just shared, but I got something far worse, instead.
